EVOKING CONTEMPLATION OF THE PAST - THE VERY OLD LITTLE CHURCH OF DIXTON, MONMOUTH

'The past is the place of our ancestors, and the future is the place of our children, but we of the present are the bridge of time and space which link them together.'

It is not a certainty,  but who is to prove otherwise, that the very old little church of Dixton, in the diocese of Hereford, has not been serving its parishioners for over 1500 years?  

Not one of your grand multi-storied churches of old, but the old little church of Dixton, historically, has much to be said for it. 

It is probably the oldest church in Monmouth, if not farther afield. It might not be as imposing, infact, it is definitely not as imposing as its more resplendent and heraldic brothers and sisters of the Christian faith, but it has served the same purpose. 

That of facilitating the communal worship of God by people who believe in God and wished,  probably even forced by the conditions of their lives, throughout the ages of the past. 

To visit these ascribed holy and sacred places, and to humble, to prostrate themselves before their God. 

Lest their fellow men and women, declaring themselves to be humbler and more faithful to God, declare them to be agents of the Devil and bring about their destruction, in one way or another.

And though it is indeed the case that this little very old church of Dixton, is now, probably as it was when it was first built all those hundreds of years ago.  

Struggling for it continued survival. It has nevertheless done its duty as a place of worship, refuge and celebration of good times, for over 1500 years. From 500 or 732 CE (Common Era).

Even as its congregation grows old and passes away with time, while the younger people, having evolved into having more trust in the power of Man to influence his/her fate, have turned away from the God of their ancestors. Resulting in an overabundance of unused capacity in these places of worship.

This has brought about a big problem for the Little Very Old Church of Dixton, as it needs to be maintained. 

Not so much or only as a place of worship, but rather as a powerful spiritual link between the people whom it has served in the past, and those of the present. The significance of TLVOCOD also lies in the fact that it has witnessed the history of major events. 

Including that of the evolution of the British Monarch, the Plagues which have decimated the populace, the Reformation, et al.

Yes, like the tall trees and the very old tombstones on its sacredised grounds, Dixton Church bears testimony to the continuity of place and time, and between those who have worshipped in it. 

It, admittedly probably like others, deserves the financial support it needs to renovate and maintain it.

If you visit Monmouth, do consider making a visit to TLVOCOD, either by driving or walking along the banks of the River Wye.